Pay, location & work-life context
General Surgery Salary Map by State (2026)
Median general surgery pay across 31 states from real job listings — switch views to adjust for cost of living or overlay burnout scores. Medians blend permanent salaries with annualized locums/contract rates. National median: $375,000.
Highest median
Washington
$574,586
Best real purchasing power
Ohio
$592,839 adjusted
Best lifestyle score
Mississippi
7.7/10 avg burnout score
Compare state markets
Choose a metric, then select a state to see its figures and available breakdown.
Tile positions are approximate, not geographic boundaries. Selection adds an outline without changing the metric color. Work-life scores describe listings, not surveyed clinician burnout.
General Surgery pay by state
Sorted by median advertised pay. On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to compare all metrics.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Take-home, COL-adj. | Work-life score | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $574,586 | $536,931 | $536,931 | 4.3/10 | 21 |
| Ohio | $550,000 | $592,839 | $572,089 | 4.0/10 | 5 |
| Illinois | $487,500 | $487,705 | $463,563 | 4.6/10 | 39 |
| Minnesota | $434,990 | $441,072 | $397,627 | 5.7/10 | 47 |
| Colorado | $432,335 | $419,531 | $401,072 | 4.5/10 | 25 |
| Massachusetts | $412,500 | $390,045 | $370,543 | 4.3/10 | 17 |
| Oregon | $400,000 | $386,993 | $348,681 | 4.3/10 | 10 |
| North Carolina | $385,000 | $408,159 | $390,812 | 4.8/10 | 17 |
| New Jersey | $375,000 | $344,653 | $322,699 | 4.3/10 | 31 |
| California | $375,000 | $338,692 | $307,194 | 5.4/10 | 119 |
| Mississippi | $375,000 | $431,267 | $412,292 | 7.7/10 | 6 |
| Arizona | $375,000 | $372,478 | $363,166 | 6.6/10 | 11 |
| Alabama | $350,000 | $394,042 | $374,340 | 7.5/10 | 18 |
| Florida | $350,000 | $338,445 | $338,445 | 6.1/10 | 21 |
| Louisiana | $350,000 | $396,794 | $384,890 | 6.7/10 | 11 |
| Connecticut | $300,000 | $289,547 | $269,308 | 6.1/10 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | $300,000 | $307,465 | $298,026 | 6.1/10 | 27 |
| New York | $300,000 | $277,981 | $258,939 | 5.7/10 | 89 |
| Rhode Island | $300,000 | $293,312 | $275,743 | 7.2/10 | 7 |
| Kentucky | $300,000 | $332,745 | $319,436 | 5.6/10 | 6 |
| Iowa | $300,000 | $341,834 | $328,844 | 6.0/10 | 11 |
| Georgia | $300,000 | $311,549 | $294,757 | 6.5/10 | 14 |
| Virginia | $275,000 | $271,997 | $256,357 | 5.3/10 | 36 |
| Texas | $275,000 | $283,339 | $283,339 | 6.8/10 | 81 |
| South Carolina | $275,000 | $293,336 | $275,150 | 6.3/10 | 5 |
| Wisconsin | $275,000 | $292,258 | $276,768 | 7.2/10 | 12 |
| Missouri | $275,000 | $302,807 | $288,575 | 6.9/10 | 12 |
| New Mexico | $250,000 | $271,114 | $255,119 | 6.9/10 | 9 |
| Maryland | $250,000 | $238,188 | $224,492 | 4.9/10 | 18 |
| Tennessee | $250,000 | $272,124 | $272,124 | 7.1/10 | 41 |
| Delaware | $250,000 | $250,481 | $233,949 | 7.0/10 | 6 |
Common questions
Which state pays general surgery physicians the most?
Washington currently has the highest median general surgery salary at $574,586, based on 21 real job listings. Adjusted for cost of living, Ohio offers the highest real purchasing power at $592,839.
Which state offers the best after-tax general surgery pay?
Ohio currently leads the take-home view at $572,089 — the state median after its state income tax (Tax Foundation state income tax rates (2025)), divided by the local cost-of-living index. No-income-tax states like Texas, Florida and Tennessee often outrank nominally higher-paying states here.
Why adjust general surgery salaries for cost of living?
Prices differ across states. The adjusted view divides each state's pay benchmark by its regional price index (U.S. average = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). This is a state-level comparison, not a personal budget or a city-level cost estimate. Missing price data is shown as unavailable.
Which state has the best general surgery lifestyle scores?
Mississippi currently has the highest average WeekdayDoc burnout score (7.7/10, higher is better) for general surgery listings — a measure of call burden, weekend requirements, and schedule flexibility across postings.
More salary maps
See the full percentile breakdown on the General Surgery salary page.